Though it is still considered a missing person case, the homicide unit is leading the investigation because of the unusual circumstances.

The truck has been flagged for border officials and police agencies across the province, but has not yet been spotted. Bosma’s credit cards have also been flagged, but have not been used since the disappearance, Kavanagh said.

“Of course it’s worrisome (that they haven’t been used); it’s worrisome that he’s been gone this long. But we’ve still got to keep hope,” Kavanagh said.

A canvas of the area led police to believe the truck headed toward Brantford, rather than Toronto or Niagara.

The marine unit searched a pond near Book Road Thursday, after from a tip from a neighbour who heard noises around the time of the disappearance.

Nothing was retrieved.

Kavanagh said Thursday night that police have now exhausted all of their search resources. On Friday morning, police will continue wading through the enormous number of tips that have come in, thanks to media coverage.

“We still have a lot of work to do, to follow up all these tips,” he said.

The family, too, has not given up.

For three days, dozens of cars and trucks — each one slapped with a FIND TIM BOSMA poster — lined the family’s farmhouse driveway. Family, friends, even strangers spread the word online using the #FindTimBosma hashtag.

“This does not feel like real life. This only happens on TV and in movies. It does not happen in real life,” Sharlene said at the news conference Thursday, her family behind her for support.